Grandpa Resort

Our rating:

If being close to the beach is not as important as a good deal and a fabulous view, Grandpa Resort is worth a gander as it’s one of Canggu’s best value guesthouses and besides, it is just a 15 minute ride to the surf.

It’s actually the location that gives Grandpa Resort the edge, the imposing triple-storey block is, to be honest, a blot on the landscape and sticks out like the proverbial in the middle of the rice paddy, but from inside the rooms your gaze is directed outward at the impressive vista.

Out of bed and into the pool at Grandpa Resort. Photo: Sally Arnold

Air-con interiors are spacious, comfortable, clean, simple and modern, if a tad bland. Wooden furnishings include a small desk, wardrobe and bedside tables (with lamps), and beds are super-comfy with crisp white linen. Large picture windows enable you to lay in bed and look over the pool and paddy from most rooms and a flatscreen TV with cable channels adds something other than the view to stare at.

Ensuite bathrooms are fairly basic, but clean and the showers are hot. Upper lever rooms add a communal balcony running the length of the building and ground floor rooms open to the swimming pool.

Plenty of light in the poolside rooms. Photo: Sally Arnold

Outside each room (on both levels) are a couple of not-so-comfortable looking wooden stools and a table—we’d be heading to one of the poolside sun lounges instead (be quick, there’s only a handful). The long narrow swimming pool is terrific, sparking clean and long enough for lap or two. The rooftop bar / chill / yoga area was not complete on our visit in February 2017, but is perfectly usable for enjoying the surrounding landscape, and the best spot for a sundowner.

Breakfast is not included in the rate, but available from the small on-site restaurant plus there’s a couple of nearby cafes to spice up the options. Grandpas’s also run a pizza and burger joint on the main road, so they’ll know where to come for deliveries.

The upstairs outlook. Photo: Sally Arnold

Staff are young and giggly, but sweet and helpful and can organise scooter and bicycle hire. Grandpa Resort is a good choice for flashpackers looking for a bit of quiet comfort. This area also offers good value budget and midrange options for solo travellers and families: Ko Hostel in nearby Gang Waru II has the cheapest dorm beds in Canggu (and they’re clean and comfy too), and almost next door, United Colors of Bali offers a great deal with spacious two bedroom bungalows. If you’re keener on a closer-to-the-beach location with your view, Canggu Bona Kubu off Jalan Pantai Batu Bolong is decent but a tad more pricey.

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